Stenciling device



Dec. M i923.

G. J. EVANS STENCILING DEVICE Filed Feb. l5. 1921 Patented Dec.. lili, i923.

ily-What@ FTNT @FFHO GUY J. EVANS, DF BUFFALU, NEW FUER.

STENCILJING DEVICE.

Application tiled February 15, 1921. Serial No. 445,983.

To all wlwm z't may concern.:

Be it known that l, GUY J. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buil'alo, n the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stenciling Devices, pf which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a hand operated stenciling device for printing addresses or other data on envelopes, postal cards, tags, etc.

lts object to provide a portable device of this character which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which is reliable in operation, and which permits of printing a maximum number of envelopes, tags or other matter in a minimum amount of time.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is aside elevation of the improvement. Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section on line 4 4, Fig. 1. Figure 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. 3. Figure 6 is a detached perspective view of the stencil holder. Figure 7 is an inverted perspective view thereof. Fi re 8 is a perspective view of the stencil s eet or card.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Y

lln its general organization, this hand operated stenciling device or machine comprises a base or supportin plate which carries a stencil, and an ink istribut-ing device connected to and guided on said base plate and adapted to be moved back and forth across the latter and over the stencil. The tag or other article to be printed isplaced upon a table or other suitable support and the machine placed over the same with the stencil arranged over the particular area of the tag on which the address or other data is to be printed.

10 represents the base or supporting plate of the machine whichis preferably constructed of fiat metal and which is provided with a longitudinal opening 11 and a pair of parallel upri ht guide flanges 12 extending along the a jacent longitudinal edges of said opening.

Carried by the underside of this base plate is a stencil holder or carrier 13 of suitable construction to removably sup ort a stencil frame 1t. As shown in Fig. g, this holder is preferably constructed of thin sheet metal being provided at its ends with inwardly opening pockets or channels 15 for receiving the ends of the stencil frame, and at one side thereof with a similar pocket or channel 16 for receiving one longitudinal ed 'e of said stencil frame. The pocket 16, eing closed at its outer side, serves to gage the stencil frame in its proper position within the holder and prevents its being pushed through the opposite side thereof. A. printing opening 17 is also formed in the stencil holder which registers with the opening 11 in the base plate. For the purpose of facilitatin the removal of a stencil frame from its hol er, when it is desired to insert another one in its place, the front longitudinal1 edges of the base plate and stencil holder-'f are provided with alining notches or recesses 18 which permit the stencil frame to be conveniently grasped with the thumb and forefinger of the hand. rlhe stencil holder may be suitably secured to the base plate by soldering or otherwise.

The stencil frame 14 is made of cardboard or similar material and is provided with a printing opening 19 across which extends 'the customary stencilizable sheet 20. The address or other data may be formed on this sheet in the usual manner, either by cutting the same therein or forming the same thereon by an ordinary typewriter. When arranged within the stencil holder, the stencilizable sheet registers with the openings 11 and 17 of the base plate and holder, respectively.

The ink distributing device, to which the base plate 10 is connected so as to be held in operative relation therewith during the handling thereof, preferably comprises a frame 21 movable across the upper side of the base plate and provided with an inking roller 22 mounted therein and having its lower portion projecting below the same. This roller is guided on the base plate between the guide flanges 12 thereof. A series of ink supply rollers 23 are disposed above the inkin roller and en age the periphery thereof. glhe upper en of the frame 1s provided with a suitable hood or cover 24 which is hin ed at 25 to the front end of said frame. xtending from the rear end of the latter is a suitable handle 26 `for manipulating it, whereby the inkin roller is moved under pressure back an form over the stencil to produce an imprint on Gti) the article to be printed. This handle not only serves the purpose above mentioned, but also serves as a means for conveniently handling the whole machine.

The preferred means for connecting the base plate 10 with the inking frame 21 consists of a horizontal coupling member or rod 27,projecting forwardly from the front end of said frame and fastened to a transverse pivot rod 28 mounted in the lower end of the frame in front of the inking roller 22. A pin 29 is arranged in advance of the pivot rod upon which the coupling rod is adapted to rest, for normally supporting the same in a horizontal position relatively to the inking frame and preventing it from swinging downwardly below such position. Mounted on the front end of the base plate is an upright bearing member 'or lu 30 having an openin 31 therein with w ich the coupling rod 2 engages, and which Serves to guide the front portion of said rod during the reciprocating movements of the frame 21 relatively to the base plate. By this arrangement, the base plate is suspended below said frame and always held in operative relation with the inking roller, permittin the machine to be held in an elevated position in one hand while the articles to be addressed are placed in position on the table with the other hand, preparatory to placing the machine in position upon the article to be printed.

To insure the base plate being held against the inking roller at all times and especially when the inking frame is in its extreme forward position on said plate, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, a llat spring 32 is secured to the front wall of the cover 24 which bears against the upper side of the coupling rod, said spring constantly tending to force or swing the latter against its supporting pin 29 and hence hold the base plate against said inking roller. ln practice, it has been found that this spring may be dispensed with when comparatively short base plates and stencil holders are employed, but when longer base plates are used in connection with larger stencil holders the spring isvdesirable, inasmuch as it acts to hold the base plate and stencil holder in proper operative position relatively to the printing roller. Furthermore, by providing the guide flanges 19, the inking roller is held against lateral displacement relatively to the base p ate.

As shown in Fig. 3, the opening 31 in the bearing member 30 is preferably flared at both ends to dprevent binding of the coupling rod therein uring the movement of the inkingI frame back and forth over the stencil holder. ln using this stenciling machine, assumlng a stencil to be in the stencil holder and `the machine to be held in an elevated posi- Lamme tion in the right hand, the attendant places a card, tag, or other article 33 on the table or other supporting place with the other` hand, after which he places the machine on the table with its base plate resting squarely upon the article so that the stencil is arranged over that portion of the article which is to be printed. The inking roller is then moved forwardly under pressure across the printing opening in the base plate 10 and stencil holder 13 and in engagement with the exposed printing area of the stencil, whereby the ink from this roller will penetrate the printing openings in the stencil and leave an imprint upon the article to be addressed. While the inking roller is in its forward position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the machine is raised from the table and another article placed in vposition to be printed, after which the machine is placed over it and the printing produced thereon u on the return stroke of the inking roller. n this manner it is possible to quickly apply the same address or other data upon a plurality of cards or tags which are to be attached, for instance, to a number of articles designated for shipment to the same address.

This machine, while permitting of expeditiously addressing shippin tags and similar articles is portable, ren ering the same capable of being carried from place to place where addressing of cards, etc., is desired. Furthermore, it is light and exceedingly simple in construction, and being composed of but few parts, enables it to be manufactured at a moderate cost.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stencilin device -of the character described comprising a base plate adapted to support .a stencil and havmg a bearing member at its front end, a, frame movable relatively to said base plate and ca ing an inking roller for engagement with t e stencil, and a coupling member extending forwardly from said frame and engaging the bearing member of said base plate.

2. A stenciling scribed comprismg a base plate adapted to support a stencil and having a bearin member at its front end, a frame movab e relatively to said base plate and carrying an inl:- ing roller for engagement with the stencil, and a coupling member pivotally mounted on said frame and guided at its front end in said bearing member, said couplin member being normally disposed in paralle relation with said base plate.

3. A stenciling device of the character described comprismg a base plate adapted to support a stencil and having a bearing meinber at its front end, a frame movable relatively te said base plate and car ing an inkin 'roller for engagement with t e stencil, a orizontally disposed coupling rod pivdevice of the character def Lemme oted to said frame in front of said inkin roller and overhanging said base plate, said rod being guided at lts front end in said bearing member.

4. A stenciling device comprising a stencil holder adapted to engage the article to be printed and to support a stencil with its lower side over said article, an inking device having a frame which is coupled with Said stencil holder so as to be movable lengthwise thereof and provided with an inking member adapted to engage the upper side of said stencil, and means for manually moving the inking device and the stencil holder bodily toward and from the article to be printed.

5. A stenciling device of the character described comprising a base plate adapted to support a stencil and having a bearing mem-V ber at its front end, a frame movable relatively to said base plate and carrying an inking roller for engagement with the stencil, a

coupling member ivoted to said frame and extending forwar ly therefrom above said base plate, said member being guided at its front end in said bearing member, and a spring arranged at the front end of Said frame and bearing against said coupling member.

6. A stenciling device of the character described comprismg a base plate having a printing opening, a stencil holder secured to the underside of said base plate and having a printing opening therein in line with the opening in said plate, a frame movable relatively to said base plate and carrying an inking roller adapted to travel over said plate in line with said printing openings, and means for coupling said base plate in operative relation with the inking roller of said frame.

GUY fr. avales. 

